Siraj warns govt, Imran of ‘double march’

LAHORE - Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said that Azadi March might follow a ‘double march’ if the government and PTI didn’t sit together to resolve the ongoing political unrest.Talking to media at Mansoora flanked with other senior party leaders, he said if the political leaders did not show tolerance for one another, the game would go out of their hand and then they might have to rest at home. He noted that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, while announcing a judicial commission to probe the 2013 election rigging, had not given any timeframe for completing the job. “If the rulers think the masses and political parties should not put any demand to them, they should relinquish the office of the prime minister.” The JI leader said if the government intended to obstruct Azad March by force, it should abandon the idea and concede the protesters instead as the public march can’t be stopped by placing containers or creating obstacles. The Islamabad administration should prepare itself to treat the protesters as guests instead of posing hurdles, he added. Sirajul Haq said, “We should celebrate August 14 as a dignified and respectable nation and should not leave a negative impression to the world.” He further said, “I only wish that Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and other political party heads should join hands at the Independence Day function to show complete national unity and harmony.” He said the entire nation was in a state of fear and anxiety. The Stock Market had crashed and there was no business or trade. Separately, Federal Information Minister Pervez Rashid rang up JI chief Sirajul Haq to convey that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted his proposal of removing the hurdles and containers placed on the way of the Azadi March participants. According to the minister, it is now the responsibility of the Long March participants to remain peaceful and avoid causing harm to any state property.